Baby's Development Tummy Time Practices   Articles on Baby Development

The Benefits of Tummy Time

The importance of placing babies on their bellies when they are awake

Developmental movement 

      Tummy time is important because that's when babies do specific movements that support healthy development of their brains and bodies. These are ordinary movements that stimulate normal brain and body development. They will happen naturally if baby spends enough playtime on his tummy.

      Baby builds important connections between his brain and body when he moves on his tummy. These movements organize his brain for optimal performance. If baby moves and plays as much on his tummy as on his back, he can establish the basic brain organization and motor skills that enable him to roll, belly crawl, sit, crawl on all-fours and then walk with coordination and strength in his first year. These same early movements later help him to master academic learning and creative expression. Moving and playing on his tummy, baby lays the foundation for intelligent and organized brain and body.

Brain development

Tummy time supports

  • Vision, hearing, smell, touch, taste,  kinesthesia and movement
  • Integrated reflexive movement
  • Progress from simple to complex cognitive functions
  • Rich neurological pathways in the brain
  • Connection of right and left brain
  • Brain compatible learning

Tummy time provides a foundation for

  • Speech and language comprehension
  • Flexible attention
  • Capacity to learn from experience
  • Ability to remember
  • Academics, including reading, writing and mathematics
  • Pattern recognition and creation

Physical development

Tummy time improves

  • Muscle and bone strength
  • Digestion
  • Spinal alignment
  • Coordination
  • Capacity to fall safely and to maintain balance
  • Ability to progress effectively from floor to sitting, to crawling and to walking

Psychological development

Tummy time fosters

  • Healthy sense of self and others
  • Initiative, persistence and mastery
  • Trust, comfort and confidence

Tummy time builds healthy habits of

  • Balanced rest and activity
  • Independence and dependence

Helping babies do tummy time

Pediatric craniosacral therapy, developmental movement therapy and chiropractic care can significantly help:

 

Tummy time and safety

Tummy Time for Play is a necessary practice that complements Back to Sleep. Tummy time for play is a safe learning activity. Make sure the surface you place baby on is firm enough that he can push up with ease, and rest his head down without any soft material around his mouth and nose. Take normal care to arrange the space and watch over your child's play. If baby falls asleep in tummy time, roll him gently to his side and then on to his back. Be careful to roll him slowly so he doesn't startle. Particularly, babies with the following conditions need to be watched during tummy time so that you can roll them over if they fall asleep:

Best practices for parents, providers and practitioners for babies' optimal development through movement, touch and relationship

Catherine Burns (c) 2004

 

Catherine Burns, RSMT, IDME, CST

Developmental Movement Therapist, Craniosacral Therapist

612/332-7459  •  Catherine@MamaBebe.org

 

Baby's Development Tummy Time Practices   Articles on Baby Development